Stop Playing Juliet!
by GossipGirlHere
Summary: Two households, both alike in dignity, in fair Hogwarts, where we lay our scene. Weasleys and Malfoys have always hated each other, plain and simple. Can two star crossed lovers change that, and rewrite the classic tale, or will it end a tragedy?
1. The Yule Ball

**Hey guys! I thought I'd start with a bit of an explanation. This is _Romeo and Juliet_, but with Rose and Scorpius. It may end the same, it may not, but it's based on the story, with a few twists and turns. Before we start I'm going to make a list of the main Weasleys and Malfoys that will be the basis of our Capulets and Montagues.**

**Weasleys/Gryffindors:**

**Rose Weasley**

**Hugo Weasley (Rose's brother)  
**

**Ron Weasley (Rose's father)  
**

**Hermione Weasley (Rose's mother)  
**

**Albus Potter (Rose's cousin/best friend)  
**

**James Potter (Rose's cousin)  
**

**Clarice Longbottom (Rose's best friend)**

**Steven Heartfield (James' best friend/Rose's potential boyfriend)  
**

**Malfoys/Slytherins:**

**Scorpius Malfoy**

**Draco Malfoy (Scorpius' father)**

**Astoria Malfoy (Scorpius' father)**

**Mathew Greengrass (Scorpius' cousin)**

**Adelle Greengrass (Scorpius' cousin)**

**Peter Goyle (Scorpius' best friend)**

**ENJOY!!!  
**

"Are you ready yet?" asked Rose impatiently, standing by the door to the girls dormitory.

"One second!" came the disembodied voice of her best friend from the bathroom.

"Hurry up!" said Rose, "Everyone else had already gone downstairs!"

Finally Clarice merged. A petite, pretty girl who stood at about 5 foot 4 inches with auburn hair that went to her shoulders. She wore a purple ball gown with gold threading, and her hair bounced around the edge of the bodice with a slight curl. Rose turned to look in the mirror one more time before leaving, and she liked what she saw. By fourteen she'd reached her final height of 5 foot 7 1/2 inches. Her flaming red, Weasley hair curled naturally into tight ringlets, and still made it all the way to her waist, however, for this evening she'd pulled her hair up into an elegant twist complete with an emerald clip to match her emerald green ball gown.

"I'm so glad we're in fourth year," said Clarice, "I would _hate_ to miss this..." it was true that only fourth years could attend the Yule Ball, the most exciting even of the Tri-Wizard Tournament by far. This year it would be extra special because it was a masked ball.

"We should go," said Rose, looking at the clock, which read 8:15. "It started 15 minutes ago." They grabbed their masks, each matching their individual dresses, and raced down the stairs. They reached the Great Hall to find it transformed into a beautiful ballroom, full of hundreds of dancing students from Hogwarts, Durmstrang, and Beauxbatons filled the dance floor, all masked.

They were about to enter when a tall brunette walked up to Clarice and said, "May I have this dance?"

"Of course," said Clarice with a smirk, leaving Rose with a wave. However, Rose only had to wait a moment before she too was swept up into the dancing by a raven-haired boy.

* * *

It was a few minutes to midnight, and Rose had stopped for some punch, when a tall blond walked up to her.

"May I have a dance?" he asked.

"Sure," she said with a smile, letting him lead her out to the dance floor, which was more packed than ever as the unmasking approached.

"Enjoying the ball?" he asked, as they twirled around the room.

"Yes," she said with a laugh, "You?"

He smirked, "I'm dancing with a pretty girl, what more is there to ask for?"

"I don't know," she said in a sarcastic, playful voice, "Maybe personality, wit, and intelligence, just a suggestion."

"Well, seeing as you have all three, I'd say I'm set," he said.

"You know, you're right," she said, her playful smirk still in place, "I _am_ too good to be dancing with you."

"I don't think so," he said, "I'm tall, uncommonly good looking, smart, cunning, and extremely witty. What more could a girl want?"

"What more indeed?" Just then the clock struck midnight, the allotted hour for the masks to come off.

Rose pulled off her mask and gasped in shock. Facing her was an unmasked Scorpius Malfoy. Without a word she turned and walked away. It was a dignified exit, she would _never_ be seen running from a Malfoy, but all the same, she had to get out of there. She hoped to God that no one had seen. It was just not acceptable. Scorpius stood rooted to the spot, still in the middle of the dance floor. What _had_ he been thinking?

* * *

When Rose reached the Gryffindor Common Room most people were returning as well, so she blended in with the crowed. She sat down in a chair by the fire, and was soon joined by Clarice.

"Hey," said Clarice, as she sat down on the couch. "You'll never guess who I was dancing with when the masks came off? James! Weird, right? I can't believe I didn't recognize him."

"Speak of the devil," said Rose, as her fifth year cousin sat down in another arm chair.

"So, my dear, young cousin," said James in a playful voice, "Did we have fun at the ball?"

She nodded.

"Who were you dancing with when the masks came off?" asked Clarice interestedly.

"I don't know," said Rose, keeping calm, "I don't know his name. Some seventh year Ravenclaw, I think."

"Oh," said James, loosing interest. He'd been trying, in vain, to set Rose up with his best friend Steven Heartfield.

Rose soon went to bed, unable to stop herself from thinking of Scorpius. Malfoys were off limits, _everyone_ knew that. Off. Limits. Period. The Malfoys were not a family that Weasleys ever associated with, and that wasn't about to change now. There was a status quo that needed to be kept. The two most prominent families in Hogwarts, the Ministry, and, frankly, the entire wizarding world, had never gotten along, and that wasn't about to change. The only problem was she had liked him. A lot. He'd been playful and flirty, but with the underlying intelligence that came with his wit. She couldn't believe she'd been flirting with him! How embarrassing...at least she knew he'd never tell, because he'd been flirting too. That made her blush even more...Something about him intrigued her, and she was frightened by the fact that she wanted to know more.

* * *

Scorpius didn't move until his best friend, Peter Goyle, came up to him and said, "Shouldn't we get going?"

"Oh," he said, coming out of a trance, "Yeah, we should." They walked in silence back to the Slytherin Common Room, and went up to the dormitory together.

"You'll never guess who I was dancing with when the masks came off," said Peter, "Adelle!"

"Really?" asked Scorpius, vaguely.

"Yeah," said Peter, "Who were you dancing with? She was a redhead, wasn't she, very pretty. Slytherin? She was wearing green."

"No," he replied, "Not a Slytherin...I don't know who she was, some fifth year Hufflepuff I think."

"Oh," said Peter, "Well, that's not very exciting, now is it?"

"No," acknowledged Scorpius, "Not very exciting at all."

They went straight up to bed, but Scorpius lay awake long after his roommates had begun to snore. He'd been dancing with a Weasley. Rose Weasley. He was already upset with himself that he knew that much, her first name. Why did it have to be her? How embarrassing...she'd never tell, she _couldn't _tell. No one would ever know. They'd never speak of it again. But the way he'd acted! She hadn't seemed so awful--he had to give himself a mental slap for that thought. She was a Weasley, and there were no ands, ors, ifs, or buts. They were complete opposites. Like sun and rain, both had to exist, but never did they harmonize. The fact that he was already subconsciously planning ways to see her again frightened him. He had to put a stop to this, and fast.

**So, I hope you like the first chapter!!! I'm really excited about this story, so tell me what you think about it!**

**XOXO**

**GossipGirlHere  
**


	2. No One

**Hey guys!!! Here's another chapter for you...ENJOY!!!**

The next day Scorpius was leaving for Malfoy Manor. The Yule Ball was always held on Christmas Day, so he'd stayed for that, however there was still another two weeks of break, and he wanted to get away. His cousins Mathew and Adelle, plus Peter, were all coming as well. When they arrived Scorpius immediately went outside to the extensive grounds and sought solitude under a large willow tree by the lake. He was doing a lot of thinking...he wanted to see Rose again, he really did, but he couldn't. He'd been warned on the platform by his father the day of his first trip to Hogwarts to stay away from her...his mind traveled back to that day unwillingly.

_His first trip to Hogwarts. His first ride on the Hogwarts Express. His life was finally beginning at the age of 11. He'd meet kids his own age he wasn't related to for once, and, of course, he'd make his mum and dad proud by being an all A student in Slytherin. He was gazing around the platform in awe at all of the students, when he saw his father nodding to someone. He looked to see two families...a man with jet black hair was holding the hand of a woman with flaming red hair, and beside them was a little red haired girl and a boy who looked Scorpius' age, the mirror image of the man that Scorpius assumed was his father. There was another man, with flaming red hair like the woman's, her brother? And beside him a woman with brown hair. With them was a boy and a girl, with brown and red hair respectively.  
_

_"Who are they?" he asked, looking expectantly towards his father._

_"The Weasleys and the Potters," said his father in distaste. "Stay away from them. The girl," he pointed to the girl with the red curls who was by the red haired man, "And the boy," he pointed to the boy with jet black hair, "Will be in your year, but you mustn't associate with trash like that."_

_He'd nodded, because his older cousin Mathew had told him something of the Potter that was in his year, James...he thought that was the name. He decided right then to loathe them, and to make his father proud by being better than them at everything..._

Scorpius thought back through the years with something between lingering pride and resentment. He had tried his best to be better at them in lessons, and beating the boy had never been a challenge...however, the girl was a different story. More often than not they got the same mark, which infuriated him to no end, and sometimes she did _better _than him, and that was just unacceptable. However, there were those times when _he_ had gotten the better mark, which always made him were both chasers on their Quidditch teams, and matches were always more competitive than lessons. Slytherin had won two and lost two against Gryffindor since they both joined their teams in first year...a fact he was ashamed of. Slytherin should've won all four.

However, all this competition had never been acknowledged. They ignored each other thoroughly in public, however he knew she was really fighting just as hard as he, and this was not a fight he intended to loose. Now, however, he was looking at her differently. She'd seemed so fun the night before at the ball, so full of laughter and spark. He wanted to see her again. Even after all this reminiscing and reminding himself of familial duty that fact didn't change. It was mere curiosity, and a desire for the unknown, that was it. However, he wouldn't be able to get her out of his head until he talked to her, and was able to see for himself just how under him she was.

"I'll have to see her again," he muttered to himself as he drew this conclusion.

"See who again?" asked a disembodied voice, who's body walked up from behind Scorpius. A tall blond, very muscled up considering he didn't play a sport, and rather intimidating to those who did not know him, sat down beside Scorpius.

"No one, Matt," said Scorpius quickly.

"Scorpius," said Matt in a threatening tone that had a playful edge.

"No one," reiterated Scorpius.

"Oh really?" asked Matt, before launching at Scorpius in a magnificent football tackle.

They rolled around in the grass laughing as they wrestled, until finally Scorpius said, "Uncle! Uncle!"

Matt let him up and said, "So, who?"

"The fifth year Hufflepuff I was dancing with when the masks came off last night," said Scorpius quickly, "She left her bracelet, so now I've got to find her and give it back."

Matt turned away, uninterested in the fact that no juicy gossip had been revealed. Finally he said, "Grandpa Lucius wants to see you. He didn't like that you just ran off without saying 'Hello'."

"I guess I'll do that," said Scorpius, trying to suppress a groan. His Grandpa Lucius was not one of his favorite relatives. He was constantly reliving the war and lamenting their loss. Scorpius, however, saw no need to dwell on the matter, even if he didn't like it.

* * *

Rose found herself wandering alone in the corridor heading towards her favorite haunt, the library. Whenever she needed to think she went there, partly because reading calmed her, partly because it was so quite, but mostly because none of her relatives would ever dare to follow her there.

When she arrived she thought she'd go to the muggle section, her favorite place to look for distractions from her troubles. She pulled all of her favorites, including _Pride and Prejudice, The Complete Works of William Shakespeare, The Last of the Mohicans, Emma, The Anne of Green Gables Series, The Count of Monte Cristo, _and _Oliver Twist. _Having secured her books she sat down at a table and opened Emma, one of her favorite Jane Austin's. However, after about two minutes she closed it in dissatisfaction. For some reason not even Jane Austin could keep her thoughts towards Mr. Knightly rather than a certain blond Slytherin. She knew she was being stupid. It was just because she'd _always_ been a little curious, and her encounter resurfaced the smothered curiosity. That had to be it. It wasn't _attraction_, or anything, it was just that she wondered about why he was so bad. She knew the family stories and remembered with ease her father's insistence that she beat him in every test, something she had, and would continue to do, with a few exceptions. She couldn't stop her self from wondering what he was like towards people who _weren't _Weasleys. He wasn't rude to other Gryffindor's either, and she wasn't totally unopposed to other Slytherins unrelated to the Malfoys. Their families got along with every other family at Hogwarts except each other, and she found herself wondering if they'd have been friends if her last name had been Finnegan, instead of Weasley. She didn't wish she wasn't a Weasley, though. She had fierce pride in her family, their war history, their loyalty, and every other amiable trait they possessed in abundance, but the fact that her last name kept her from getting to know him was a cause on unease.

She was staring blankly at the table thinking, her forehead creased in worry, when suddenly a voice cried, "Boo!"

She jumped about a mile and turned to see her favorite cousin and best friend Albus behind her, grinning from ear to ear. "Al!" she cried, "What are you doing?"

"Shh!" called the librarian from behind a bookshelf, and Rose lowered her voice, continuing, "What do you want to do, kill me?"

"Nah," said Albus, taking a seat beside her, "Then I couldn't do it again, could I?"

She rolled her eyes before saying, "What do you want?"

Albus ignored her question, and instead posed one of his own. "What were you thinking about?"

"Excuse me?" she asked.

"You looked worried," he elaborated, "I can tell, so don't lie. I could see the wrinkles forming on your forehead, and you'll thank me for scaring them away when you're old and wrinkle free," he picked up _Oliver Twist_, and read the cover before continuing, "Plus, you're reading all of those muggle novels you like. You only do that when you're worried."

"Well, that's where you're wrong," she replied with dignity, "Because I'm not worried, I just wanted a break from studying, and decided that _Emma_ was a good enough companion for me.

"Suuuuuuuuuure," he said, "But everyone says you've been acting weird since the end of the ball last night, and I came to see for myself. What's up?"

"Nothing," she said.

"Who're you thinking about?"

"What makes you think I'm thinking about anyone?" she asked. She hated how he always read her, when no one else could.

"So it is someone?" he checked.

"It's no one," she said, before standing up, "I've got to go up now, Clarice is waiting for me." She picked up her stack of books and took them to the check out, before leaving the library, and a confused and curious Al.

**Hope you all liked it! Drop me a review and let me know! Look forward to next chapter where they'll meet again, face to face.**

**XOXO**

**GossipGirlHere  
**


	3. Uneventful, Miserable, and Sluggish

**Sorry for the delay! It's been pretty busy at my house, and I haven't gotten a lot of time to myself. Enjoy!!!**

The first day of classes after break is always uneventful, miserable, and sluggish, and this one was no different. Daily life returned to the Malfoys and the Weasleys, and to Rose and Scorpius. Rose had all but forgotten her brief encounter with Scorpius, as embarrassing as it had been, and was excited to enter a new relationship. Despite all odds, James had convinced her to go out with Steven Heartfield, and for some reason unknown to anyone else, the two had gotten along perfectly. Now one of the hottest couples at Hogwarts, Steven and Rose were happier than ever. There were, however, those moments when Rose caught Scorpius looking at her, with an intensity she could not explain.

Rose was walking down the hallway with Al on her way back to the Common room one day in February, when suddenly a pair of familiar hands clasped over her eyes from behind.

"Steven!" she laughed, turning around and kissing him, ignoring the eye roll coming from her cousin.

"Hey," he said as they broke apart, taking her hand and walking beside her.

"Hey," she replied, "How do you feel about going for a fly tonight?"

"I'd love to," he said, smiling.

"Good, because--" she broke off, having run straight into someone. She looked up to find herself face to face with none other than Scorpius Malfoy.

"Excuse me," he said, coldly. He had to keep up appearances after all.

"Yes," said Al before Rose could say anything, "Excuse you."

"Excuse _you_," said Peter Goyle, who was beside Scorpius, "Do you know who you're talking to?"

"Yeah," said Steven, "Scum lower than the dirt on my shoes."

"Guys," said Rose, she didn't really want a fight to break out in the middle of the hallway. McGonagall would throw them all in detention if they had another fight, or worse.

"You watch you're mouth," said Peter.

"Why don't you watch yours?" asked Albus.

"Guys," said Rose to Steven and Albus, "Not here."

"Is there a problem?" came the voice of Mathew, as his hulking figure rounded a corner.

"No!" said Scorpius quickly, grabbing Peter and saying, "We were just going."

"Cowards!" called Steven, as Al said, "Malfoys never stay to fight their battles, why am I not surprised?", and Rose said, "Guys let it be!"

"We ought to teach you a lesson," growled Mathew, and Peter and Scorpius stopped and returned to Mathew's side.

"Oh yeah?" asked Steven.

"Yeah," said Scorpius, who had by now decided that family was _way_ more important.

"I think we'll teach _you_ a lesson," said Al. Most people had vacated the hallway by now, not wanting to be there when McGonagall arrived on the scene to shell out detentions.

"I'd like to see you try," said Mathew.

"Then watch closely," said Steven, before he punched Mathew square in the jaw, while Rose cried, "Steven!"

After that it was a full on fight. Scorpius and Peter were handling Albus, while Steven and Mathew fought it out, Rose trying in vain to get it to stop.

"Excuse me!" said McGonagall's ringing voice, as she rounded the corner, "But what is the meaning of this? Ms. Weasley, Mr. Potter, Mr. Heartfield, Mr. Malfoy, Mr. Greengrass, and Mr. Goyle I have had quite enough. You will all serve detention together next Saturday, and let me make myself quite clear. Not another fight is to take place between you lot. Is that understood?"

"Yes Professor," they all mumbled obediently. McGonagall's word was law.

"Now," she said, "Back to your Common Rooms," before sweeping away, looking disgusted.

Rose, Albus, and Steven walked away determinedly and didn't break pace until they reached the Common Room.

"Codsliver," said Rose, before either of the other two could speak. They walked into the Common Room and sat down on three of the beautifully adorned chairs by the fire.

"What were you thinking?" asked Rose, looking from one of the other.

"What were _we_ thinking?" said Al incredulously, "What were _you_ thinking? You were no help at all."

"You _knew _that a fight would only land us in another detention. We've got to stop getting McGonagall angry! She's on our side now, but if she figures out it's us who starts all the fights she won't be!"

"We didn't start it," said Steven, "They did!"

"But _you_ threw the first punch!" replied Rose.

"I'm sorry," said Steven, sarcastically, "But I wasn't aware that defending your girlfriend was a crime!"

"I didn't need defending!" shouted Rose, "I asked you not to cause a scene!"

"You know what?" said Al, "We're all tired. Why don't we all just go to bed?"

"Fine," said Rose, getting up and heading towards the girls' dormitories.

"Fine," echoed Steven, heading towards the boys' dormitories, leaving a lonely Albus by the fire when Hugo arrived. Hugo, despite being only a third year, was very tall. A brunet like his mother, with blue eyes like his father, he towered over most other students, but never had the menacing air that some taller students, like Mathew Greengrass, did. He played Quidditch, and was, therefore, very built up, but he wasn't the type of person that scared others. He had a kindness in his face that was there unless he was truly furious, which didn't happen often.

"What happened?" he asked, "Did they have a fight?"

"Yeah," sighed Albus, "After our run-in with the Malfoys."

"Who's had a run in with the Malfoys?" asked James, walking up to them.

"We did" said Albus, "Just now. Steven, Rose, and I were coming up here when _Scorpius_," he said the name like a swear word, "Ran into Rose. A fight broke out, and then we all got detention from McGonagall."

"She gave you detention?" asked James, looking outraged.

"But why would Steven and Rose fight?" asked Hugo at exactly the same time.

"Steven and Rose fought?" asked James incredulously.

"_Yes_," said Al, "Because Rose didn't want a fight to break out, and got mad at Steven for throwing the first punch."

"Since when did Rose pass up a chance to fight the Malfoys?" asked Hugo.

"Since now, apparently," said Albus.

"Something's not right with her," said James, "That's not like Rose at all."

"I know," said Albus.

"Well," said Hugo, "There's nothing we can do about this now. We'll deal with it tomorrow."

* * *

Meanwhile, Rose was in her dormitory alone, sitting on her bed and thinking.

What was wrong with her? She'd never gotten in the way of a fight between Malfoys and Weasleys, and now she'd fought with Steven! She knew that the underlying reason for this new development was her encounter with Scorpius Malfoy, but she didn't like to admit it.

Though it was dark out, it was only five o'clock, and Rose was glad that no one would be in the dormitory until at least seven or eight, because she needed her thinking time.

Suddenly she heard a knock on the window nearest her bed. She turned her head, to see a form outside the window. She stood up for a better look and saw none other that Scorpius Malfoy, flying on his broomstick, outside her window. Convinced that she'd gotten to the point of hallucinations she closed her eyes and shook her head, hoping Scorpius would've vanished when she opened her eyes.

He didn't.

**So....What does he want? Find out next chapter! Review with you're thoughts and ideas!**

**XOXO**

**GossipGirlHere  
**


	4. You Can Count on It

**Here's another chapter for you all! It's short and sweet, because it doesn't cover more than a few hours. ENJOY!!!**

Rose opened the window wearily, and whispered, as though afraid the walls could hear, "What the hell are you doing here?"

"I just," he said, looking as if he didn't even know why he was there, "I just wanted to apologize for what happened today, I guess."

"Since when did Malfoys apologize to Weasleys?" she asked sceptically.

"Since now," he replied. "You wanna go for a ride?"

Rose bit her lip. Going for a ride on a broomstick after hours with a Malfoy was definitely not something anyone would approve of, but she wanted to. And _that_ was definitely something no one could ever find out. However, the lingering curiosity about what would've happened if their last names had been different, made her even more eager to go. On the other hand, what did she really know about him? He could fly her a mile out from the castle, kill her, and leave her there! Of course, she didn't really believe that, but she had to examine the possibility that something bad would happen to her. She didn't think it would though. As crazy as it sounded, she felt like she could trust him. She _wanted_ to trust him.

"No one will know," he encouraged. "I mean really, _I'm_ sure as hell not going to tell anyone."

She chuckled, before saying, "Alright." She opened the window a bit wider, and climbing out onto the back of the broom.

"Hold on," he said, looking back at her before he flew them out towards the grounds. They landed under a large willow tree far out on the grounds, so far that the castle was barely a speck in the distance.

Rose sat down, her back leaning against the stump of the tree, and Scorpius joined her.

"What are we doing out here?" she asked, starting to think that maybe it would've been smarter for her to stay in her dormitory.

"I wanted to talk to you," he replied, "I can't stop thinking about you." He gave her a calculating look, trying to blink and have his now undeniable attraction towards her go away...but it didn't.

"What?" she asked blankly. This was just _too much_.

"No really," he said, "We can't just keep ignoring the fact that we flirted with each other at the ball."

"Yes. We. Can." said Rose firmly, "We've been doing it, and we will keep on doing it." She was partly trying to convince him, and partly trying to convince herself.

"Then why did you come out here?" he asked.

"Excuse me?"

"Why did you come with me if you'd just planned on ignoring it?"

"I--Because when--It just--"

"You can't think of a reason, can you?" he moved a step closer, and Rose froze.

"I-" but exactly what Rose had planned on saying, if she even _had_ a plan, no one ever found out, because just then Scorpius kissed her.

It was a short kiss, a sweet kiss, and that one little kiss changed life as they knew it.

"Now what?" was the first thing Rose said when they broke apart.

"What do you mean?"

"I mean," she said, taking a step back, and trying to regain control of herself, "You're a Malfoy, I'm a Weasley, a _taken_ Weasley, might I add, and we just kissed!" she was almost on the point of hysteria.

"So?" he asked.

"What does that mean for us?"

"Well, now we've got to stop pretending like the Yule Ball didn't happen," he said.

"But no one can ever find out about this," said Rose, "Ever."

"Then how does that change where we were before?" asked Scorpius.

"Just cause no one else knows doesn't mean we're ignoring it," said Rose with a smirk.

"So, I will be seeing you again?" confirmed Scorpius.

Rose walked up and gave him a small kiss, before saying, "You can count on it."

* * *

They flew back up to Rose's dormitory, and it was about 7, so Rose still hoped no one would be there. Thankfully no one was.

"Goodbye," she said, as he hovered outside of her window.

"Bye," he said.

"And remember," said Rose, "In public, nothing changes."

He nodded, "But in private..." he trailed off suggestively.

"Get going," she chided him, and he zoomed off into the night.

Rose was grinning in spite of herself, until she turned around to see a horribly familiar face.

**So who is it? Drop me a review with thoughts, comments, and ideas!**

**XOXO**

**GossipGirlHere  
**


	5. It's Complicated

**I don't want to give anything away, so I'll save the real stuff for at the end. Enjoy!**

"What are you thinking?"

"What do you mean?" asked Rose, trying her best to sound innocent, while closing the window.

"I'm not stupid, Rose, and you're lucky it was me who found you, not Steven or Hugo."

"And what exactly do you think you found?" asked Rose, trying to discern exactly how much of her whereabouts was known, staring down her accuser.

"You just climbed into the window after a moonlit broom ride with Scorpius Malfoy! I should go right down stairs and tell Steven, James, Hugo, and--"

"No, Clarice you can't!" cried Rose, because she knew Clarice would do it. "Nothing happened, I promise."

"What's happened to you?" asked Clarice, sitting down. Suddenly a thought struck her, "Is this why you stopped the fight today in the corridor?" Now Clarice was turning accusatory, "How long have you been seeing him?"

"I'm not 'seeing him'!"

"Then what _is_ going on?"

"It's complicated," said Rose, not knowing any other way to respond.

Clarice let out a humorless laugh, "You're telling me. You've got a boyfriend! Not only that, he's a Malfoy, Rose! I'm not even a real Weasley and I know what that means!"

"I know, I know," sighed Rose, "But the thing is, I really wanna see him again."

There was an awkward silence, during which Clarice stared at Rose incredulously, and Rose picked up her copy of _Romeo and Juliet_ off of the bedside table.

"How did you guys even meet?" asked Clarice.

"At the ball," said Rose, still not looking up, afraid to meet Clarice's eye, "We danced, and we flirted, and then the masks came off and--"

"Oh my God..." muttered Clarice, "This is ridiculous! Stop playing Juliet! He isn't Romeo! This is _not_ some perverse Shakespeare play, this is life! You can't just decide that forbidden love is all exciting and forget about everything you once held dear! You've got a boyfriend, a brother, several cousins, and several friends, all of which are enemies to Malfoys. Would you give all that up for some guy? Let it go. I get it, the forbidden love thing is tempting, but you've gotta let it go."

"That isn't what it's about!" said Rose.

"How much do you really know about this guy?" asked Clarice, "Really? Even excluding that he's a Malfoy, if you could ever exclude _that_, we have no idea what he's like. He could be a psycho killer for all we know, a serial rapist!"

"All right," said Rose, who had every intention of lying her way out of this, "I won't see him again, just, don't tell anyone, promise?"

Clarice eyed her up and down, her eyes narrowed, trying to detect a lie. She didn't find one. "Alright," she said slowly, "But if I find out that you've seen him again then I'll tell James, Al, Hugo, and Steven_ everything_."

"But," said Rose, "I've got detention with him on Saturday."

"Well then," said Clarice, "Don't say a word to him, understood?"

"Yes," said Rose, noting that she _did_ understand, just had no idea of complying.

"Good," said Clarice standing up from the bed and heading towards the door, "Now I suggest you go downstairs and patch things up with Steven, and it will all be like this never happened."

"I can't do that," said Rose firmly, standing up as well, but staying right where she was.

"Why not?" asked Clarice sharply.

"Because, even though nothing is going on between me and Sco--Malfoy," she noticed that Clarice noticed her use of Scorpius' first name, but was glad to see that Clarice wasn't going to comment on it, "I still don't want to be with Steven. In fact," she continued, hit with a sudden inspiration, "I'm positive this whole thing with Malfoy was only because I wasn't happy in my relationship with Steven."

"Well then," said Clarice, "You'll have to break up with him then, you can't just leave things the way they are."

Rose understood that, but didn't like the idea of officially breaking up. She did like Steven, but just didn't see how it could work now that she liked Scorpius so much more. If she broke it off officially then Steven would ask why, and he would surely bring up Scorpius, and then she'd have to lie, and if Scorpius found out, maybe he'd think it was the truth, and that he was only a distraction. Plus, what if Clarice turned out to be right? She'd need a backup, and if Steven knew that Scorpius was the reason for their breakup he'd never take her back. She knew it was a selfish impulse, and unnecessary, because something about Scorpius just seemed right, and she didn't think he'd actually hurt her or ditch her, or at least, she hoped not.

"Yeah," said Rose, coming to a decision, "I think I'll go now and do it."

"No," said Clarice, "Wait until tomorrow."

"I'm not going to change my mind," said Rose, knowing exactly why Clarice wanted her to wait.

"Just, humor me," said Clarice.

"Fine," said Rose, getting ready for bed, "But I _am_ going to do it, first thing in the morning."

* * *

"Steven," said Rose as she approached the Gryffindor table. Much to Clarice's disappointment, a good night's sleep did not convince her to stay with Steven, and, as she'd said, she was going to break up with him first thing. "Can I talk to you?"

"Sure," he said, and he stood up and followed her into the hall. "Listen, I'm sorry about last night," said Steven, "I shouldn't have shouted at you."

"No," said Rose, "I'm sorry, I started the argument. Listen, I need to tell you something."

"What?" he asked, looking warily at her.

"I think that it'd be best if we take a break." She hated that saying, 'take a break' because it insinuated that there would be and end to the break, and there_ certainly_ wouldn't be an end to _this_ one. But, she didn't really know how else to say it, and she knew he understood.

"Why?" he asked, getting a bit frantic, "If it's about that argument, I'm telling you, I don't care, it was all my fault! I shouldn't have done what I did and I'm sorry! I'd do anything to take it back, and whatever I need to do to keep you, I'll do it, because I lo-"

"Don't," she said, "Don't say it. We both know you don't mean it. Even if we hadn't fought I'd still being doing this."

"Why?"

"It's...complicated."

"Yeah," he said, turning away, "It seems like it," his tone was more than bitter as he walked away.

Rose watched him go with a feeling that wasn't regret, but rather pity. She pitied him, but knew that it was for the best.

**So, there you have it. Hope it was good enough for you all, and who expected it to be Clarice? I'd LOVE to know where you all thought I was going. REVIEWS!!!**

**XOXO**

**GossipGirlHere  
**


	6. Escape

**So, this chapter's pretty important, despite how short it is. Enjoy!!!**

The next day Rose saw Scorpius again. Rose had been working in the library when she spotted him walking towards her. She looked around quickly, and, once ascertaining that no one was near, pulled him behind a bookshelf, and kissed him full on the mouth.

"I missed you," she said.

"Not as much as I missed you," said Scorpius.

"Well," said Rose, realizing where they were, "You're going to have to go on missing me if you only plan to see me in public places."

"Well, _someone's_ in a bad mood," muttered Scorpius. He was upset with her for bringing up their present difficulties when he was in such a good mood.

"I've had a hard week."

"Oh, and why is that?"

"After you left me Clarice found me..." she explained her conversations with Clarice and Steven, and watched him carefully for reactions.

"Well," he said, "We'll just have to be more careful."

"Yeah," she said, "Starting with only meeting in private places, and leaving each other before we get any where that someone could see us."

"Fair enough," he said, "But, can I see you tonight?"

"Sure, after Quidditch practice....meet me in the grounds at 8:00. Okay?"

"It's a date," he smirked, and then leaned in to kiss her. Rose closed her eyes, enjoying the moment, but then suddenly his lips left hers, and by the time she had opened her eyes he'd disappeared.

* * *

Scorpius was walking up from the dungeons heading towards the grounds to meet Rose. It was about 7:30, so the team was bound to be finishing practice. He made it up to the front doors when Mathew and Peter came down from the marble staircases.

"What're you doing out this late?" asked Scorpius.

"We could ask you the same thing," said Mathew, "It's almost curfew for you two, your not fifth years yet."

"Yeah," said Scorpius, "I just wanted to go up to Madame Pomfrey for a headache cure." He invented wildly, hoping it sounded truthful. Before he had any chance to find out if Mathew and Peter bought it, the front doors opened and in walked Albus and James Potter, and Hugo Weasley.

"Look who it is," said Hugo, "the Malfoys," he said the name like a horrible curse word.

"Don't pay any attention to them," said James, "Their_ obviously_ beneath us."

"You seem to be under a misapprehension," said Mathew, "Because you are the ones beneath us." Scorpius noticed to his horror that everyone else there was clutching their wand in their pockets, and he grabbed hold of his own.

"That's no way to talk to your betters," said Albus.

"Good thing we're not talking to them," said Peter.

"Goyle _please_, we know you're a Malfoy wannabe, but can keep out of it?" asked James. Scorpius tried to control his temper. He couldn't afford to strike.

Peter didn't do so well on the temper controlling thing. He pulled out his wand, and everyone else followed suite. Suddenly stunning spells were flying everywhere, as Scorpius tried desperately to break up the fight.

"Guys," he said to Mathew and Peter, as they shot and dodged curses, "It's not worth it. Let them be."

Peter opened his mouth to respond when Albus did the unthinkable, shouting, "Sectumsempra!" and pointing his wand at Peter. Peter fell to the floor with a crash, blood pooling around him.

Without thinking, blinded by anger, Scorpius yelled, "Sectumsempra!" pointing his wand directly at Albus, who fell, creating his own pool of blood to mix with Peter's.

James and Hugo were helping Albus, while Mathew tended to Peter, but Scorpius merely stood there for a moment, still seeing red. He was panting, drenched in sweat, and in shock at the horror of what he'd done. He looked at Albus, who was going pale, and ran as fast as he could out to the grounds.

Running.

Running.

Running.

Rain was falling, and he was soon drenched, but he didn't care...he welcomed it. It washed off not only the sweat and the blood that covered him, but he also hoped it would cleanse him of the horror he'd just committed. He didn't notice for a moment that he was being perused. James Potter was running after him, livid.

"You bastard," he said as he caught up with Scorpius, "Turn around and face me like a man, or are you really too much of coward?"

"Who're you calling a coward?" asked Scorpius, turning to face James and drawing his wand.

"What's going on?" came a new voice, familiar to both parties, a girl's voice.

"Rose?" asked James as she came into view.

"What's going on?" she repeated, turning to James and saying, "You _know_ McGonagall said no more fighting, it's not--"

"It's Al," said James.

"What?" she asked, looking confused.

"He was hit, in the duel, this bastard got him with Sectumsempra."

"Is--is he okay?" asked Rose, who was loosing color rapidly.

"We don't know," said James, "Madame Pomfrey is with him. He's lost a lot of blood."

Rose couldn't take it. Her head was spinning. Scorpius had cursed Albus? Her cousin, one of her best friends in the whole world. Why? Was Al trying to hurt Scorpius? Would he have succeeded if Scorpius hadn't used that curse? Did she believe that? Did she _care_? She didn't know how to deal with it, which side to pick. She couldn't handle the crushing guilt that was caused by the fact that she had to even _think_ about which side to pick. Albus was family. Family that might be dying, but Scorpius was-- What was he even? Did she even know? Did it matter? Her mind couldn't handle it. She needed to escape. Escape the madness that was her life. Escape the pain. Escape the guilt. Escape everything.

She fainted.

**Hey, I know that was short, but it was too dramatic to not be its own chapter. Tell me what you thought.**

**XOXO**

**GossipGirlHere  
**


	7. Someone Has to Pay the Price

**Hey guys! Sorry this took a while, but it was a hard one to write, because it decides the direction that the entire story is going to go in. ENJOY!**

When Rose awoke she was in the hospital wing. Clarice, James, Lily, and Hugo were all beside her. She sat up and looked around carefully, but couldn't see Al or Scorpius. The only other occupied bed in the hospital wing was Peter Goyle's. Mathew and Adelle Malfoy were sitting with him, as well as a hulking man that Rose guessed to be his father, and a kinder-looking woman, whom Rose assumed was his mother. Peter was in the bed three away from her, and the Malfoys and Goyles weren't speaking, merely casting glances at the group by Rose's bed every few seconds. They had to speak in whispers to as not to be overheard.

"Where's Al?" she asked, turning to her family. She couldn't very well ask about Scorpius.

"He's at St. Mungo's," said James, who still looked pale, worried, and, above all, angry.

"Is he gonna be okay?" she asked even quieter still, not sure if she wanted to know.

"They're not sure" said Lily, who had tear tracks on her face and tears in her eyes, "Mum and Dad are with him." Rose's stomach dropped.

"What happened?" asked Rose.

"There was a fight," said James slowly, "And Al got Goyle, but then Malfoy got Al..."

Rose was silent. Her cousin--her brother really, was in the hospital. Scorpius had cursed him...Al had just gotten Scorpius' best mate, it was true, but Goyle seemed to be doing better than Al--at least he wasn't in St. Mungo's. She was furious at the whole lot of them. Every single one. She was mad at James, Mathew Greengrass, and Hugo for fighting, she was mad at Peter Goyle for being stupid enough to get involved, when this had nothing to do with him at all. She was mad at Al for using such a curse. She was mad at Scorpius for nearly killing Al. She was mad at herself too...she was so angry at Scorpius, but that couldn't make her hate him, and that made her so frustrated.

"Rose? Rose?" Clarice was waving her hand in front of Rose's face.

"What?" asked Rose with a start. She looked around and realized the others wjere getting up to leave.

"You fazed out," said Hugo, "We were just gonna say that we had to go. I've got to get to bed, it's w_ay_ passed curfew, and James and Lils are off to the hospital."

"Oh," she said, still a bit disoriented. "Okay. I'll see you." She gave a smile that she hoped looked realer than it felt, "Tell me the moment you know that Al's okay."

"Okay," said James with a nod. He looked pained, and more adult than Rose had ever seen him, more serious too, and not in the 'sirius' way he usually was. "Feel better."

Hugo, James, and Lily left immediately, but Clarice lagged behind.

"Rose, what's up?" asked Clarice.

"What do you mean?" replied Rose, trying to sound innocent.

"Why aren't you furious?"

"I--I don't know." The realization crashed down upon Rose and consumed her. For the first time in her life she didn't know. Her life had always been planned out for her, and she always knew exactly where it was headed. Hogwarts, Auror Training, Marriage, Successful Career, Children. That was how her life was planned out. She'd always known how she felt about everything, and how/if it fit into her master plan. Now, for the first time in her life she was faced with a situation where she didn't know. She didn't know what to do. She didn't know what to think. She didn't know what to feel. She didn't know what was right. She didn't know.

"See!" exclaimed Clarice, shocking Rose out of her reverie, "You're doing it again. What are you thinking about?"

"Nothing," said Rose, though she knew she didn't sound very convincing.

"It's that Malfoy boy, isn't it?" said Clarice. "He killed your cousin, Rose!"

"Al's not dead," said Rose, hoping that if she said it enough it would be true.

"Yet," said Clarice, but when Rose flinched she backtracked, "And even if he doesn't die Malfoy aimed to kill! Where do your loyalties really lie Rose? With your family or with some guy you barely know?"

"With my family," Rose whispered.

"Good," said Clarice, clearly satisfied with Rose's answer, "Now, I've got to go. Get well soon, okay."

Rose nodded and watched Clarice leave. Once the hospital wing door snapped shut she was left alone, save for the Goyles, and Mathew and Adelle Malfoy. She watched them for a few moments, and saw the Malfoys get up to leave, when the door opened and none other than Scorpius came in. He said a few words to Mathew and Adelle, who both looked grave, before going over to the Goyles. Rose wished she could hear them. Had Scorpius been suspended? Expelled? Arrested?

McGonogall entered the hospital wing at that moment, accompanied by Harry and Ginny Potter. Rose instantly feigned sleep in the hopes that they would talk in the hospital wing if they thought she couldn't hear. Sure enough, McGonogall moved to the chairs that were between Rose's bed and Peters. They were at the farthest end of the hospital wing, furthest from the door.

"Well, Mr. Malfoy," started McGonogall, but before she could continue Rose heard the door open and Draco and Astoria Malfoy entered as well, and walked swiftly over to their son.

"Well, good evening, Draco, Astoria." continued McGonogall, "I must admit I am unsure as how to proceed."

"Well," said Ginny, who sounded more upset than Rose had ever heard her, and though Rose couldn't see her, she could perfectly imagine the look of pain and determination that was on her aunt's face. "If you'll excuse me, Minerva, it seems very clear to _me_." McGonogall nodded for her to proceed, so she continued. "Our son could be dying. They don't know if they can save him. We wouldn't be here at all if James, Lily, Ron, and Hermione weren't with him, and of course if we were actually allowed in his room. As it is, we're waiting to find out if he's going to make it. Someone has to pay the price." She stopped to collect herself, and Rose could imagine with painful ease the tears in Ginny's eyes.

"But," said McGonogall, "Albus did curse Mr. Goyle, who is, as you can see, very ill at the moment."

"But he's ill here," said Harry, which surprised Rose. Out of all of the Potters and Weasleys Harry had never approved of the feud between the Potters and the Malfoys. He had never encouraged it, but today it seemed like he would, "Our son is in St. Mungo's for a wound that could _kill_ him."

"He nearly killed my best friend!" spoke up Scorpius, "I didn't know if Peter was even alive."

"Yes but he _is,_" said Ginny, "And, with all due respect, I think being in St. Mungo's is punishment enough for Albus."

"Exactly," said Draco Malfoy, who Rose had expected to speak long before this. His voice was cold, calm, and collected, and would've frightened Rose, if there hadn't been a note in it that was so very similar to Scorpius' voice, "An eye for an eye so to speak. Your son only got the punishment that he deserved, Scorpius merely--"

"You're saying he deserved to die?" asked Ginny, almost in hysterics, "But then again," she continued coldly, "Considering _your_ background it's no surprise that you consider death a suitable punishment for something."

"And what do you mean by that?" asked a woman that Rose did not recognized. She had a cool voice, but with a softer tone that would've been closer to Scorpius' if she hadn't been so angry. His mother, undoubtedly.

"Well," said Ginny with disdain, "Death Eaters tend to kill first, ask questions later, if you know what I mean"

"How dare you--" said Draco.

"Get your hands off her!" said Harry, and Rose was tempted to open her eyes to see what was happening. She let them slit open just a crack, hoping no one would be looking at her. She saw that Mr. Malfoy had grabbed Ginny's arm, and Harry was now pulling out his wand.

"That is _enough_," said McGonogall, and Rose quickly shut her eyes as Draco drew his hand away from Ginny, lest someone see she was awake. "Mr. Goyle, what is _your_ opinion on the matter?"

"Our son is fine," said a deep voice, that Rose assumed was Gregory Goyle, "We don't care one way or another about the proceedings, and now, if you'll excuse us, we must be going. Please owl us the moment he wakes up."

"Yes, of course," said McGonogall.

"Thank you," said an unknown woman's voice. It sounded kind, but like it had an awful head cold. Clearly the Goyles had no wish to remain in an atmosphere so dense with hate. Rose heard the door snap closed and then a long silence.

"So," said McGonogall, "Where does this leave us?"

"He has to pay the consequences of his actions," said Harry calmly, "Surely you must see that Minerva?"

"I do," said McGonogall, "And I have decided that--"

"Then why doesn't the Potter kid get any punishment?" asked Draco coolly.

"Don't you think that a near-death experience is enough?" asked Harry.

"I have decided," said McGonogall, speaking over Draco's retort in a tone of awful finality. "That Scorpius will be suspended until the end of term. He can resume his studies next year, after a summer in summer school with me, so that he will be caught up when next term starts."

"But--" Scorpius began, but McGonogall interrupted.

"_And_, while he is suspended he will be doing some community service at the ministry for the auror office." It was common knowledge that Harry and Ron ran the auror office, and Rose tried desperately not to laugh as she imagined the look of horror on Draco's face. The situation was not funny at all.

"Please," started Scorpius again, only to be interrupted once more by McGonogall.

"My decision is final, Mr. Malfoy. You will be attending summer school all summer, and will do your service at the auror office. As of now you are not to step foot on these grounds until next fall. Please collect your bags and depart. Tonight." Rose's heart stopped. He was leaving tonight? She'd never talk to him again? She couldn't just drop into the auror office, 1. Because she was suck here at school, and 2. Because of her dad. This summer she'd be able to go, but it wouldn't do any good because he'd be at Hogwarts...

"We have to get back to the hospital," said Ginny, and Rose was immediately consumed by guilt. She was plotting how to make secret visits to her cousin's murderer as he lay dying in St. Mungo's.

"Of course," said McGonogall, and Rose heard them all walk to the door, "I'll show you out, and please owl me with news the moment you have some news," McGonogall's worry leaked into that sentence for the first time. She'd always been very fond of Albus. "Draco, Astoria, if you and Scorpius could go and get his things."

"Yes," said Draco stiffly, "Of course. Coming Scorpius?" apparently Scorpius hadn't moved.

"I just want to sit with Peter for a moment. Would you go get my bags? I'll be down as soon as I'm ready."

"We'll just get you when--" started Astoria.

"No!" he said, a little too quickly, "I mean, I've just got to see him alone for a few minutes, I'll come down when I'm ready."

"Of course," said Astoria. There were more footsteps, and then the door snapped shut. Rose waiting half a second before opening her eyes. Scorpius was just turning from the door.

"Rose!" he said, "You're awake! How much did you hear?"

"All of it," said Rose tersely. Now that the time had come to speak to Scorpius she'd decided that anger was the appropriate emotion, and she had every intention of letting him know it.

"This really sucks," said Scorpius, clearly interpreting the tone of her voice as anger at the situation, rather than at him, "When do you think we'll see each other again?"

"I hope never," she said, maintaining her cold anger.

He looked stunned. "What?"

"You heard me."

"Rose--what are you talking about?"

"You could've killed him," she said, trying not to break down and cry. As it was her voice was rising in anger. "My cousin. My best friend in the world. He could be dead at this very moment for all I know, and you're worried about your suspension?" Her voice rose in indignation, and Scorpius looked very much like he'd been hit by a bludger, and couldn't figure out how it had happened. Rose, like any Weasley, could really get going when she was on a roll. And she was on a roll like never before. "How _dare_ you? Why would I _ever_ want to see you again? My family is more important to me than anything, and when they said that you were bad news they were right!"

"But--" said Scorpius feebly.

"There are no 'but's!" said Rose, cutting him off, "You cursed him. There's no way to talk yourself out of it. He's lying in St. Mungo's bleeding to death because of _you_! That isn't something you can take back! I know he cursed Goyle, and he shouldn't have, but two wrongs don't make a right, and Goyle isn't your family! Blood is a lot thicker than water Scorpius! You deserve a lot more than a suspension! You should by lying in a bed in St. Mungo's right next to Al!"

"But Peter--" said Scorpius, who was getting angry. But his anger was no match for Rose's.

"Who gives a damn about Goyle? This has nothing to do with him and you know it! It has to do with the feud. You and your Malfoy pals and your wannabe best friend had to pick a fight with James, Hugo, and Al. If you hadn't--"

"WOULD YOU JUST LISTEN?" Scorpius had to shout to drown off Rose, and he grabbed her hands for good measure.

Rose pulled herself away and said, "NO I WILL NOT BLOODY LISTEN!"

Suddenly the door to the hospital wing opened and a familiar voice said, "Who's that shouting?" Rose and Scorpius froze.

**So who is it? CLIFF HANGER! (You must've realized by now that I LOVE those...) I hope you all liked this chapter. Drop me a review with thoughts and ideas...**

**XOXO**

**GossipGirlHere  
**


	8. A Chance I'm Willing to Take

**How can I even BEGIN to explain why this took so long? I am SO SORRY about this! The real problem was that this chapter really decides how the story is going to end, so I was very careful when writing it. It took a long time to gather my thoughts together, and even longer to start writing them down. AGAIN: SO SORRY!**

"Uncle Neville?" asked Rose in a shocked voice. She realized that she and Scorpius were nose to nose, and immediately sat as far back on the bed as possible. Scorpius too immediately retreated to the far edge of his seat.

"What's going on?" asked Neville. He walked across the ward and stopped a few feet from Rose's bed.

"Nothing," Rose and Scorpius said at the same time, something that caused them both to glare at each other.

"Scorpius, your parents are waiting, you should've been downstairs already," said Neville.

"Of course," said Scorpius. He cast Rose a meaningful look before leaving. It was only when the door had closed firmly behind him that Neville spoke.

"Care to explain?" he asked with an eyebrow raised.

"There's nothing to explain," said Rose resolutely, "He was saying goodbye to Goyle, and then he started a fight, about how Al deserved it, and then I-"

"And this fight involved him sitting at your bedside and clutching your hand?" interrupted Neville sceptically.

"Not exactly," said Rose.

"Rose, talk to me. I'm not stupid. Something's going on, so spit it out. You know you can tell me anything, right?" It was true. From the very first time Rose had met Neville he'd been like a third parent to her. She'd been able to tell him things that she couldn't tell her parents, though when she was five those things weren't quite as serious. She wanted to believe that he wouldn't run to her parents, but she wasn't sure, and she didn't know if she could trust him.

As if Neville had read her mind he said, "You can trust me."

"Scorpius and I were fighting because I blame him for what happened to Al." It was technically the truth-just a selective part of it.

"Well it is his fault," he said reasonably, "But that's not all of it." She'd forgotten how well he could read her...

"Well," said Rose, before continuing very quickly, as though it would be less shocking if she got it out there fast, "ScorpiusandIaredatinginsecret."

"What?"

"Scorpius and I are dating in secret," Rose said a bit slower.

"I heard you," he said, "But I don't believe it."

"It's true! Do you think I'd make something like that up?"

"No," he said slowly, "But, _why_?"

"It's a long story..."

"Which is code for 'I don't want to tell you', right?"

"Right." He smiled slightly, but didn't push the matter.

"So, what do you plan to do?" he asked.

"I don't know..." she said, "I can't tell Mum and Dad...I just wish there was some way that this feud didn't exist."

"Yeah, but it does," said Neville reasonably, "We can only play with the hand we're dealt, and this is the hand you got. Is he really worth all of this?"

Rose thought a very long time before answering, "I think it's worth all of this to find out."

"If you really think that," said Neville, "I think I can help you."

"Really?" asked Rose in astonishment. She, for one, had thought this situation beyond help.

"Really."

"But, why would you do that?" asked Rose, confused. Neville was generally on her parent's side of the feud when he had a side at all...

"Because I think this feud has gone on long enough, and if you two got together it might stop all this rubbish."

"Or it might just make it explode," reasoned Rose.

"True," replied Neville, "But that's a chance I'm willing to take. Are you?"

**I know, REALLY short, but like I said, SUPER hard to write...The next one should be out quicker. So, what do you think the plan is?  
**

**XOXO**

**GossipGirlHere  
**


	9. Maybe

**I KNOW I said the next one would come faster and I KNOW I lied, but in my defense I was out of the country for two weeks. ENJOY!**

Neville wasn't sure exactly why he was helping Rose and Scorpius, but he knew that he had to. Maybe it was because he could empathize with Rose. Maybe it was because she was like a daughter to him in a lot of ways, and he'd gotten into the habit over the years of helping her solve her problems. Or maybe it was because he saw a chance. He saw a chance that two families separated by a wall of hate and resentment could come together for love. He saw a chance that the world would be rid of the traces of the war. He saw a chance that the feud that had shook the wizarding world for decades would end. For the first time in a long time he saw the chance that two groups who had wronged and hurt and slandered eachother could find peace.

It was those thoughts that drove Neville as he walked towards Minerva McGonagall's office. He told the gargoyle the password and stepped onto the spiral staircase, letting it move him to the office door. He knocked and heard McGonagall's voice call, "Enter." He did so.

"Hello, Neville," she said as she flipped through some papers on her desk, "It's rather late for you to be up? Anything the matter?"

"Yes Minerva," he said, taking a seat in the chair in front of the desk, "I was just thinking about the Malfoy boy."

"Yes," said McGonagall, her eyes narrowing.

"Well," he said, "I think that he should be allowed to come to the school for one class every week. He has always had more trouble in Herbology, and I really think, considering that we start preparing for O.W.L.s at the end of this year, that he will miss the beginning of a very important phase that will lead him into fifth year."

"What are you playing at Neville?" she asked, looking extremely suspicious, "You and I both know that summer school would catch the boy up just fine, considering we've only got 4 months of school left, and 3 summer months of hard work, and believe me, he'll be working hard, will sort him out. What are you hoping to gain from having him here?"

"I guess nothing," he said, deciding this was a lost cause, "Sorry to bother you so late Minerva," and with that he stood up and left the office.

* * *

The next morning, Saturday, Neville went back to the Hospital Wing to talk to Rose.

"So?" asked Rose.

"Well," he said, sitting down by her bed, "I think you guys will have to survive on letters until next year."

"What?"

"I think that-"

"I heard what you said," she snapped, "So you had no luck with McGonagall?"

"No," he said.

She sighed, "Well, then, maybe that's God's way of telling me that this was a stupid idea..."

"Just wait it out until next year," said Neville, "It's only seven months."

"Yeah," she said, leaning back on her pillows, "I guess you're right."

* * *

The four months that finished Rose's fourth year passed uneventfully compared to how things had been going. Albus healed in St. Mungo's and returned to Hogwarts after two months. She moved through those months in a dream-like state that made everyone she knew nervous. She no longer seemed interested in anything she said or did, and by the time she boarded the Hogwarts Express with Albus and Clarice they'd been resigned to a train ride filled only with their own voices and Rose's continued silence. On that train ride Rose thought. Scorpius was still working at the auror office for two more days, and it was during those days that she planned to go see him. Neville had told her when Scorpius would return to Hogwarts the day before, and she planned to take action.

"Hi Rosie!" called Ron as she stepped off the train. Albus had sent him a letter a few weeks ago saying that he was worried about Rose, so he was anxious to see how she was.

"Hi Daddy!" she replied, hugging him, "I missed you guys."

"We missed you too sweetie," said Hermione, "How was your term? We haven't heard much from you since Christmas."

"Well, considering everything," said Rose, who knew her parents would take 'everything' to mean Albus' accident, "It's been okay."

"Good," said Hermione, "So, ready to head home?"

"Well, actually," said Rose, "It is a Wednesday, so the auror office is open. I wanted to go see it. I haven't been in a few years, and we have to do career selection next year. Uncle Neville told me that I should start thinking over the summer."

"Can't it wait?" asked Ron, "I took the day off, so-"

"So you probably are really behind on work," she finished, knowing full well that that wasn't what he'd intended to say.

"Well," said Ron, glancing at Hermione, "I _do_ have a report I need to finish..."

"Great," said Rose with a smile. She was going to see Scorpius.

**Again: I AM SO SORRY THAT TOOK SO LONG! I'm going on vacation this next week, but when I get back I'll start the next chapter, which I already have planned out in my head. Reviews are appreciated.**

**XOXO**

**GossipGirlHere  
**


	10. Son of a Bitch

**I know that you all are probably sure I died, but I didn't! I've had a lot of trouble with this chapter, but I'm really happy with how it turned out, which makes it worth it for me. Enjoy!**

When Rose arrived at the auror department her father disappeared to do some work which left her free to seek out Scorpius. She found him sorting case reports in one of the back rooms that was full wall to wall of filing cabinets all of which held case reports that Scorpius had spent the last four months reorganizing.

"_Muffliato_" she whispered pointing at the door as she entered. He turned around so fast at the sound of her voice that he nearly tripped.

"Rose!" he nearly shouted, and she was glad she'd cast the charm on the door. "What are you doing here? Shouldn't you be at Hogwarts?"

"I just got back," she said breathlessly, "You start next week, right?"

"Yeah," he said gloomily, before walking over to her, "But let's not talk about that right now. How did you get here?"

"My dad," she explained, "But he'll be looking for me any minute, so we don't have much time."

"Okay, so first thing's first," he said, and he kissed her. "Now that that's out of the way, what are we going to do?"

"I think," said Rose, "If we make it through the summer we'll be okay. We can date secretly until we're out of Hogwarts, because obviously telling our parents is out of the question, and then we can go away together."

"It's not a full-proof plan," said Scorpius, "And summers will be miserable, but it's our only option."

"Rose!" came Ron's voice from out in the office, "Where are you?"

"I have to go," she said urgently, "Before he finds us here." They kissed again, a desperate, longing kiss, "I'll see you on September 1st."

"I'll write," he promised, "Every day if you want."

"ROSE!" came Ron's voice again.

Rose smiled, "I'd love it if you did, but of course you won't. I miss you already," she kissed him again, before darting out of the room, leaving Scorpius to his filing.

* * *

Rose spent the summer at the Burrow as usual, trying to fend off nosy questions from her relatives, which, since she had so many, was turning out to be a full time job. Her family members were used to Rose being the way that Ginny had been at that age, always with a guy, and having about 5 more following her around even though she was taken. They were all shocked to hear that she hadn't been in a relationship since she'd broken up with Steven, and they were all pestering her to try going out with him again, convinced that the reason she hadn't dated anyone knew was that she still liked him. One day in mid-July Neville came the Burrow for lunch, and Rose was able to catch him as he was leaving.

"Uncle Neville?" she called. He had just closed the gate and was about to disapperate.

"Yes?" he asked, turning around.

"I have a problem, but," she looked around, "We can't talk about it here. You wanna go for a walk?"

"Sure," he replied, intrigued. He'd only been able to ask about Scorpius once, so he was curious as to what she would tell him, for he was sure that the only problem she couldn't tell anyone in her family about was Malfoy related.

Rose explained the entire situation to him on their walk, and described how her family, especially James, wouldn't let her alone, ending with a desperate, "WHAT DO I DO?"

"Well," he said thoughtfully, "I'm sure they've seen Scorpius' owl delivering letters a few times, so invent a boyfriend."

"But who could I invent that they wouldn't know?" she asked.

"It was just the Tri-Wizard Tournament, wasn't it? Just pick a Durmstrang boy...aren't you friends with any?"

"Well, there is one I'm friends with, Dragomir Krum. You know, his dad used to be a famous Quidditch player, and Mum dated him."

Neville burst out laughing, and between chuckles he managed to get out, "Your father's going to have a fit!"

Rose, however, was following her own train of thought and said, getting more and more excited with every word she spoke, "Yeah...that's what I'll do. I'll tell them that I was keeping it a secret cause I thought Dad wouldn't like it, and then they'll get off my back. I'll owl Scorpius with the plan, so he doesn't hear about it and think I actually _am _dating Dragomir, and then I'll owl Dragomir and ask him to cover for me if any of my family members check. A long distance relationship is a perfect cover! I could use it for _years_ if I have to! Thanks Uncle Neville! You're the best!" And with a kiss on the cheek she ran back towards the Burrow to put her plan into action, leaving Neville still laughing.

* * *

When Rose and Scorpius returned to school on September first no one had any reason to suspect anything. They road in separate compartments, and when they did meet they each wore a look of disdain and loathing. It was only when Rose tried to pull Scorpius aside that she realized that he meant it.

"Hey," she whispered, walking over to him as he walked up the marble staircase, "Meet me outside at 10:00, okay?"

"What about Dragomir?" he asked, uttering the name like a curse word. Rose looked confused.

Scorpius pulled her into a hidden tapestry and muttered, "_Muffliato_" at it before continuing, "Don't you think he'd mind if you went out with me?"

"Scorpius, what are you talking about?" asked Rose, "You know Dragomir is just a cover!"

"I never heard about it," he said irritably, "Good idea though, stringing me along when you've got another guy waiting on the sidelines. Maybe I should try it?"

"Scorpius!" she said, slightly confused, "What do you mean you never heard about it? I sent you a letter about it in July!"

"Yeah, sure," he said sarcastically, "And what, it got lost in the mail? Yeah right," he rolled his eyes derisively.

"That can't have happened," she whispered more to herself, "Because Rowan came back...Someone else must have taken it!" she said loudly, "Who was at the manor in July?"

"Just my grandparents, my mum and dad, and Peter," he said defensively, "Are you really going to try to label them as thieves?"

"Well if the shoe fits," she said challengingly.

"I don't have to deal with this," he said furiously, and without another word he tore back the tapestry and stormed away.

As the tapestry fell into place Rose sank to the ground, leaning against the wall with her knees pulled up to her chest, sobbing. She'd risked everything, _everything_, for him, and what had he risked? Nothing! Not one damn thing! He could just walk away without hindering his conscious, but Rose still had to face hers! Everything she'd done, regardless of her family and friends, had been for him, and now...he was gone. She felt empty and ashamed at the way she'd behaved. Clarice had been right all along, and Rose hadn't seen it.

She cried for a long while before she stood up and left. She didn't want to go back to the common room and face her relatives, so she decided to go out to the grounds.

* * *

Scorpius stormed up to his dormitory, fuming. When he arrived he was glad to see he was alone. He was so angry at himself for not being able to see it before...He felt used, but what else could he have expected from a Weasley? He'd heard about her long-distance relationship on the train, and it'd torn him in two, and then after the row they just had he wanted nothing more than to sink into the floor and disappear forever.

He sat down on his bed and gazed around the room, when something caught his eye. And folded piece of parchment with Rose's handwriting on the front was on a bedside across the room. He walked over and picked it up, hardly aware of what he was doing. The outside said, in Rose's neat script: _To Scorpius Malfoy, Malfoy Mannor_

He unfolded the parchment, which was no longer sealed, and read:

_Dear Scorpius,_

_I came up with a solution to our problem with my family. My friend from Durmstrang, Dragomir Krum, would be the perfect cover for why I'm not dating! A long distance relationship would cover us for years if it needed to, and we could find the right time to tell our families whenever! It's brilliant! I'm off to write to him now. I'm sure he'll cover for us!_

_See you in 44 days!_

_Love,_

_Rose_

He crumpled the letter into a tiny ball with his fist, and stared at the bedside table where it'd come from: Peter. Just then, the door to the dormitory opened and Peter entered.

"What's up?" he asked, sitting down on his bed.

"What's this?" said Scorpius, holding up his fist.

"Dunno," said Peter, taking the letter and un-crumpling it. As he read his face grew pale, "You weren't supposed to see this," he said.

"So I gather," spat Scorpius venomously, "How long have you known?"

"I figured it out during the summer, and I'd read a couple of the letters. When this one arrived I was gonna read it and re-seal it, but when I saw what it said I kept it, cause it was gonna make my life a whole lot easier, wasn't it?"

"Meaning?" asked Scorpius, raising an eyebrow.

"Well, I was gonna have to confront you about this, wasn't I? Once I got this I knew I wouldn't need to. You'd find out about Dragomir and dump Rose, and that'd be that. You'd have never had to know I'd interfered and then we'd be rid of her."

Scorpius gaped at him for a moment, before muttering, "Son of a bitch," and storming from the room. He ran down the corridor, through the common room, and up the stairs into the Great Hall. He sprinted up all seven flights of stairs, only to find himself standing by the Fat Lady's Portrait with _no_ idea how to get it. As it opened he hid around the corner and saw Hugo and Albus walk out, talking.

"I wonder where she's got to," Albus was saying, "You don't think she'd have gone outside, do you?"

"Are you crazy?" asked Hugo, "It's pouring!"

"Well, knowing Rose, she'd say it was _romantic_," said Al before they headed off down the corridor, "But I suppose we'd better start with the library.

Scorpius sprinted off in the other direction and back down the stairs, because he knew _exactly _where she'd have gone. He opened up the oak front doors (he was lucky, it wasn't quite curfew for fifth years), and ran out into the rain, barely noticing it. He reached the lake and saw a solitary figure bobbing along in the water, her face turned to the sky.

His heart sped up.

**So, again, I'm SO SO SO SO SO SORRY that this took so long! I know for sure the next one will take WAY less time!**

**XOXO**

**GossipGirlHere  
**


	11. Someday

**HEY GUYS! As I predicted, this chapter took _way_ less time than the last couple because I felt really inspired. I hope you all like it! ENJOY!**

Scorpius ran towards the lake as fast as he could, barely noticing the cold rain as it hit his face and drenched his cloths. When he reached the water's edge he saw a figure in the water a few meters from him, pale as death, lips blue, and still.

He waded into the water, but had to stop for a moment, as the cold pierced his skin like a thousand knives stabbing him everywhere. It was excruciating. As cold as it had been out in the rain this was a thousand times worse. He waded in slowly, each movement in the water causing him agony, and, centimeter by centimeter he got closer to her.

"Rose?" he said when he reached her, his teeth chattering slightly.

She didn't move.

He shook her vigorously, shocked to feel that her skin was even colder than his. How long had she been out there? It can't have been more than half an hour since he left her, can it? No more than an hour?

He pulled her with him back towards the waters edge, and pushed her on shore before he got out. He cast a warming charm on her, but, with the rain falling heavily, it did little good. He wished he knew a spell that would help him...the ability to transfigure objects into umbrellas, or something. There would be no good in drying her cloths with the storm raging all around them. He wanted desperately to carry her back up to the castle, but he was too weak from swimming in the water. He should've gotten help instead of going in himself! How could he have been so stupid! But, a part of him told him that it might have been too late by the time help arrived.

He picked her up and staggered a few steps, panting, before he slipped in the mud, and sent them both crashing to the ground. He thought, for a brief moment, that the fall had caused her to stir, but as he looked down at her unmoving form he realized that it was probably only the force of the fall that had caused her to jostle a bit in his arms. He picked her up again, as he reached within himself and found the last bit of strength he had. He staggered slowly up to the castle, and just as he reached the steps the oak front doors opened and light streamed in from everywhere. He saw two figures, but he couldn't make them out, though they were only a few meters from him. His vision had become blurred from the rain, cold, and exhaustion.

Perhaps because he knew they were safe, or perhaps because he truly had no strength left, he felt all consciousness slip away, though he tried desperately to hold onto it, and he sank into peaceful oblivion as everything went black.

* * *

When Scorpius awoke he was warm. More than warm. Hot. Very hot. Hotter than he wanted to be. His whole body was burning! He opened his eyes and a dazzlingly bright light made it impossible for him to see anything at all. When his vision had adjusted he saw Madame Pomfrey standing over him with her wand out.

"This probably burns," she told him in her frail, but still crisp voice, "I'm sure that's what woke you up, especially after the cold outside. Now, if you'll just keep still for a moment, I-"

"Where's Rose?" he interrupted her, trying to sit up.

"I said keep still!" she said severely, ignoring his question and pushing him down with her arm, "This will only take a moment."

He waited as patiently as he could, trying to ignore the agonizing burning, knowing that he wouldn't get any answers until she was finished. He looked around the room as best he could without turning his head. He saw Professor McGonagall and Neville Longbottom standing to his right, behind Madame Pomfrey, Neville with his hand on the end-bar of a bed that Scorpius could not see.

When she'd finished, Madame Pomfrey disappeared into her office to get some potion for him, leaving Scorpius free to stand up.

"Is she okay?" he asked again, turning to look at the bed next to him, and seeing her unmoving figure, still just as pale and unmoving as it had been in the water.

"No," said McGonagall, her voice cracking. Scorpius' heart stopped suddenly, "She's been dead now for almost-almost an hour. And you're lucky not to have gone the same way."

"An hour?" he gasped, "How long ago did you find us?"

"It wasn't me," said McGonagall, for Neville seemed incapable of speaking, "It was Professor Longbottom here, and Albus Potter. They found you nearly fifty-five minutes ago. She'd been dead about-about five minutes when they found you."

Scorpius was frozen. He'd been holding her-holding her there, in his arms, as she died. If he'd just moved a bit _faster_, if he hadn't waited to long to take her back up to the castle maybe...An overpowering guilt washed over him as he sat up, looking at her lifeless body. Even in death, she was beautiful. Her hair, curled, as usual, into its tight ringlets, had dried, or been dried by magic, and was its usual shade of red, spread out on the white pillow. Her face was pale, though not with cold, as he'd thought, but with death. Her lips were no longer blue, but a soft, pale pink, as if at any moment she would bite the bottom one in nervousness, as she used to, but breath would never again move between those lips. Never again would her hands, laid folded on her stomach with her long and slender fingers adorned with her usual favorite rings, move across parchment as a new idea struck her, splattering her nose with ink.

No, Rose Weasley would live no more.

And she'd had so much to live for...bright, vivacious, talented, charming, beautiful, clever, engaging, curious, young Rose Weasley would not get the chance to learn or to grow, to make her own decisions and mistakes, to _be_. He had taken that away from her in one moment of selfishness, of doubt. There was no one to blame but himself for the atrocity that now lie in front of him. The crime he had committed was greater than any he could imagine. He'd taken her life, a bright flame, dazzling and enchanting all that come near it, and snuffed it out.

He could hear McGonagall and Neville talking, and struggled to listen, to give his mind any occupation and save himself a moment of the agonizing guilt he knew he deserved.

"I don't understand it," McGonagall muttered, looking at Rose, "She's seemed to have just...given up. She shouldn't have been out there, and she should've lasted longer. Do we know how long she was in the water?"

"Well," said Neville, his voice hollow, "Clarice said that she saw Rose running past her and down the marble staircase at 8:00, just after the feast had ended, and then Albus and Hugo starting looking for her at about 8:45. He and I saw Scorpius pulling Rose out of the water from an upstairs window at about 9:00, as he was asking me if I'd seen her, so, I'd say about an hour. Maybe a little more, maybe a little less. If she'd wanted to fight, she could've stayed alive," he continued, more to himself, "It's almost as if a part of her didn't _want _to. As if she'd already subconsciously given up."

"I've owled the Weasleys," said McGonagall, "They'll be here in a few minutes. Hugo's waiting outside, and I've sent Albus, James, and Lily to bed. Hugo doesn't know yet. None of them do. I think-I think it best if we tell them all together, don't you?"

"Yes," he said quietly, "But what I'd really like to know before Ron and Hermione get here is how this happened," he said, turning to Scorpius, "I only know part of the story, and I'd like to know a bit more."

"Well," said Scorpius, "I'm not sure exactly where to start..." He knew that they knew that he was stalling, and he hoped they'd take the cue and not push the subject, but they didn't.

"How about the beginning?" asked Neville sternly, sitting in the chair between the two beds, as McGonagall paced back and forth in front of Rose's bed.

"Well..." and Scorpius told them everything. Everything that had happened since the Yule Ball the previous year, and every word he spoke broke another piece of his heart. He was reliving it all, and it hurt. Every smile, every laugh, every kiss, every moment...and he couldn't do it anymore. He could feel the tears burning his eyes, begging for a release he would not give them. He wanted to weep because of what he'd done, but he would not, because he neither wanted nor deserved pity.

He'd only been finished a minute or two, minutes that were spent in silence, when the Hospital Wing doors opened with a bang that rung in his ears.

Ron and Hermione were striding the length of the ward with Hugo trailing along behind them.

"Neville," said Ron, his voice urgent, his eyes dark, "What's happened?" Neither he nor Hermione seemed to notice Scorpius, only Hugo sent him an quizzical look. Hermione was looking at Neville, but Ron only had eyes for his daughter.

Neville put his hand on Ron's shoulder, and every word he spoke caused him physical pain, "I'm sorry," was all he managed, but he didn't need to say more.

"Rosie," he whispered, tears falling, first slowly, and then faster down his cheeks and nose, "My Rosie...my beautiful baby girl..."

And the most tortured sound Scorpius had ever heard echoed through the room as a sob wracked through Ron's body and he fell to his knee's beside the bed, holding his daughter's lifeless hand. Hermione was sobbing, holding Hugo close to her. Hugo alone did not sob. Tears were streaming down his cheeks as he looked at his sister, but he could not sob, because this reality could _not_ be real. With his mother's shaking frame pressed against his back and her arms around his shoulders, he let his own hand limp by his sides and stared at the twisted reality that he could not or would not believe was real.

McGonagall turned away, giving the Weasley family a minute, though she knew that they would need much longer before they would even begin to comprehend the enormity of what had happened to their family.

Neville, however, did not turn away, but watched as he thought about his own part in this tragedy. If he hadn't gotten involved this would never have happened. If he hadn't foolishly believed that two feuding families would come together to facilitate the love that had sprung up between two fifteen yearolds, this event would never have taken place. It had been foolish to hope. But he _had_ to hope, because if he hadn't than no one else would have. He needed to believe that now, maybe, at last there would be peace. When Ron and Hermione were ready, they would hear the story and they would know that it wasn't hypothermia that killed their daughter, but something stronger. Something that should have been preventable. It was a tragedy, and someday everyone would know it.

**I hope that this story lived up to everyone's expectations! I'm really proud of this final chapter, and I'm really happy with how it turned out! Tell me what you think in a review, please!**

**XOXO**

**GossipGirlHere  
**


	12. Living

**Hey! I felt like I might have needed a bit more closure on this story than I originally gave, so I've added a final chapter that I really think finishes the whole thing nicely. Enjoy!**

September 5th was cloudy. It seemed to everyone that the weather was mocking the solemnity of the day...or maybe it was trying to show its respect. Everyone at Hogwarts had been invited, because it had been over 25 years since a student had died, and never one so young. It was being held at the Burrow, and Rose would be laid to rest with her uncle, Fred Weasley. The makings of a Weasley family graveyard.

At 9:00 in the morning people started arriving, all dressed in black dress robes. Scorpius was there as well, though he'd been unable to persuade anyone he knew to accompany him. He took his seat at the back, so as not to be seen by any of the Weasleys.

He watched as the service began, but it wasn't how funerals normally were. There old, frail wizard who Scorpius knew normally presided over funerals and weddings was not present, but instead Ron went up and took his place at the podium. His voice was thick when he spoke, but he seemed resolved to maintain some level of composure.

"As you may have noticed," he said, "We are not have a traditional service for Rose, because Rose was special, and everyone here should know about what Rose was _really_ like, rather than what some stranger could say about her. Rose was-" he broke off for a moment, took a deep breath and continued, "She was special. She was a kind person, who always thought of others before herself and was rarely selfish. She was friendly and outgoing, and brave, as brave as any Gryffindor. And even though-" his voice cracked and tears filled his eyes, but he continued valiantly, "Even though she only got to live fifteen years, she lived every day of those fifteen years. Every single one. She was clever, vivacious, lively, curious, and bright. I don't just mean smart, though of course she was, smart enough to have been a Ravnclaw. But she was really _bright_, like the sunshine, casting light on everyone she met and saw. Every emotion she felt was felt fully," he managed a chuckle, "And when that emotion was anger, believe me, it was something to see. And I hope," he was struggling to get the words out, but he wanted to say them clearly. He wanted to get the message across properly, because he owed it to his daughter to do so, "I hope that when you think of Rose Weasley you don't of this day, this sadness. I hope you don't think of a marble tomb and rows of weeping friends and family. I hope you think of Rose as she was, as she lived. I hope you think of the bright, young, beautiful girl that lived more in fifteen years than many do in a lifetime. All of you here knew her, so it's not necessary to say more about how special she was, because you _know_. So remember that. Remember the small moments, the good times, the normal days, the days when Rose was extraordinary, not because of how she died, but because of how she _lived_. And she had so much to live for. That's what makes me the saddest. Not that I'll miss her, which, of course, I will, every day for the rest of my life, but that's not the true reason that I mourn. I mourn because she had so many experiences ahead of her. Who knows what she would have chosen to do with her life, who she would have married, if she'd have had kids. All of the things she could discover, all of the choices she could have made, all of the people she could have met and the lives she would have touched...but she never will. But we cannot forget that she had fifteen years to do and to be, and if we forget all of the moments she touched our lives than it will be as if she had not lived, but we know that she did. Rose Weasley truly lived."

Scorpius had never and would never see a man more broken than Ron Weasley was as he descended the steps leading up to the podium and took a seat next to his wife. The only person Scorpius ever saw to rival Ron Weasley in his despair was Hugo Weasley, who touched his father's arm as he ascended the steps to take his father's place behind the podium.

"My sister was one of the best people I've ever known," he began, and though he wasn't crying there was a haunted look behind his eyes that had not been there before. "And I could go on and on about how special she was, but, like Dad just said, you all know. Each of you knows just how amazing she was, but what you probably don't know are the little things that made her more than just a good person, and more than just your average fifteen year old. Not many people know, for instance, that she wanted to be an actress for _years_. That's just the type of out-there thing she'd want to do. She was crazy, she was funny, she was wacky, but she was also the perfect girl that every teacher fell in love with, and the beautiful girl all the boys wanted to date, and the loyal, loving girl that all of her friends cherished. We have decided that, instead of having a traditional service, to ask that some of Rose's friends speak. Some people have already said that they will speak, and will be coming up in a moment, but if you're in the audience and have a funny story about Rose, or something small you'd like to say, we'd love to hear you. Thanks."

Hugo seemed unable to say anything else. Even though not a single tear escaped his eyes as he descended the platform and sat on the other side of his mother the haunted look in his eyes had deepened, the shadows become more pronounced, and his face had lost what little color it had.

Scorpius watched as Clarice Longbottom spoke briefly, trying to stem the flow of her tears, her cousins Albus and James spoke together, Neville Longbottom spoke briefly, and one by one members of Rose's family, her friends and neighbors, all came up to speak, and it seemed that the more people spoke the less they cried. The ceremony had become a celebration of Rose's life, but there was no denying that it was still a mourning time for all present. People spoke of memories they had of her, of things they thought she'd like, of things they wished they'd said, of things they wished they _hadn't_, of experiences they'd shared and wished they'd shared with her, and all of these things just contributed to the picture of Rose that they were drawing. As Scorpius watched people speak and saw that they all looked so relieved after they'd finished, as if a weight had been lifted from their shoulders, he had an insane idea. He wanted to speak, though he knew that it was a horrible idea, he really truly wanted to.

After a few more minutes of thinking he was resolved. He stood up and walked to the edge of the podium and ascended the steps as one of Rose's cousins descended. Many people gasped as they realized who he was, and more than one person tried to stand up and make him sit down. Ron was fuming.

"How dare you?" he said, his voice starting at a whisper, but growing with every word, "How dare you come here and interrupt our service? Don't you have any sense of empathy? Can't you give us one day, _one day_, when we don't have to deal with you people? Don't you think you owe us at least that level of respect, to not barge in on my only daughter's funeral."

"Ron," it was Neville who put his hand on Ron's shoulder, "I think you should let him speak."

"Neville, what are you-" but Ron broke up, looking into Neville's face. He knew that Neville would not steer him wrong, not today, "Fine."

Everyone settled down, and Scorpius, who had been quite calm as Ron threw accusations at him, settled himself behind the podium and began talking.

"Not many people know this, but I knew Rose Weasley very well. Better, I think, than many people here. I've known of her since my very first ride on the Hogwarts express, when my father pointed her out to me and I watched as her father pointed me out to her. But, for a long time, I didn't really _know_ her. I knew only her last name, and, in my mind, that had been enough for me to believe the very worst of her. It wasn't until The Yule Ball, not even a year ago, that things changed. We met, each of us not knowing who the other was, but when the masks came off reality crashed back in. We tried to stay away from eachother, but it was no use," as Scorpius spoke everyone present became more and more captivated by him, "We began a secret relationship, our first mistake. Now I can see, looking at all of the people who've spoken about Rose today, that each and every member of her family loves her enough that they wouldn't have cared, at least, not in the long run. But we were afraid, and the secret made it all so exciting, so romantic...not really _real_. Then, of course, the duel happened. I hadn't meant for things to get as far as they did, none of us had, and I don't blame Albus Potter any more than I blame myself for how things unfolded that night. I deeply regret that night, and always will. Of course, Rose and I couldn't see eachother anymore, but we wrote in secret often, and Rose was able to visit me once where I was doing community service at the auror office. Rose fabricated a scheme over the summer, while I was at Hogwarts, catching up on my school work, that she would fabricate a fake relationship to stop her parents from asking questions. She wrote to me about it, but I never received her letter. And this brings me to the day she died. We quarreled, because I believed the stories circulating the school about her new boyfriend, and that was how she found herself on the grounds that night, alone. There aren't words for how deeply I regret my actions that night, not just for myself, but for all of the people now sitting in front of me. Each of you represents hundreds of stories and moments that Rose Weasely was a part of, and hundreds of little regrets resurfacing now that she's gone. I hope that, by listening to my story, each of you realizes the gravity of the actions and events that have brought us here today. The Malfoys will no longer be at war, as it were, with the Weasley's. We offer you a friendly truce, knowing full well that it was because of the hate that divided our families that Rose is now dead. We cannot shrink away from that truth, for that would be an insult to Rose's memory, and insult to the hope and the love that we stood for. It's time for the fighting to stop."

Scorpius descended the steps will all eyes on him, and walked, head held high, out of the tented area, and out of the yard. He did not look back, so he did not see Neville nodding at him, or Ron and Hermione's dumbfounded faces, and he purposefully never once looked at the casket where Rose lay, in her finest dress robes, cold as ice and still as stone. He did not want to remember the corps, the empty shell of the girl he once knew. He wanted to remember Rose Weasley laughing, dancing, talking, joking, _living_.

**I hope that gave everyone a little more resolution. I thought carefully before finishing this chapter, because many people expected Scorpius to kill himself, but I think the story of _Romeo and Juliet_ isn't really about two teenagers dying, it's about how hate can tear apart families, relationships, and lives. So, please review and tell me if you liked this chapter. It's been an honor and a pleasure to write this story and I hope everyone enjoyed reading it as much as I enjoyed writing it.  
**

**XOXO**

**GossipGirlHere  
**


End file.
